Device for opening elliptical springs.



C N SOWDEN.

DEVICE FOR OPENING ELLIPTICAL SPRINGS.

APPLICATION FILED 1111113, 1913.

1391;9750 Patented Mar.- 31, 1914.

WITNESSES I I ATTORNEYS SO'WDEN, DE GUANZE'ANAllffi,

r r d r rili ill CUBA;

DEVICE FOR OPENING ELLIPTICAL SPEINGEL Application filed July 16, 1913.

elliptical or semi-elliptical springs, to sepa-' rate the leaves or laminations for the pur pose of lubricating the spring; and the 1nv vent-ion more particularly has reference to i that form of device for the indicated pur pose, in which. opposed wedge members have relative movement toward and from each other, to be entered between theleaves of the spring and withdrawn therefrom.

It is a design of the invention to improve devices of the indicated character in various particulars, to the end that eiiicienc in operation may be promoted, as we 1 as economy of inaz'iufactte and simplicity of ljustnient and opera ,l he invention will be particularly ex.-

lned in the specific description following.

Reference is to had to the accompany ing' drawings forming a part of this specititration, in which similar characters of reference ndicate ,eorrespnding parts in all the embodyin my invention, showing the same applied 0 a spr shown in cross section, with the wedrre rents about to be entered between the laminations of the spring; Fig. 2 is an end view; Fig 3 is a view similar to Fig.1, showing the parts in position after the wedges have been given a relative movement toward each other; Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig, 3; Fig. 5 is a: partial. longitudinal vertical section; and Fig. 6 is developed view of the cam faces for giving one of the jaws a movement toward or fi'oin the opposite jaw.

My improved device comprises a frame 10 of general ll-shape, one end of which is in the form of a forked jaw 11', the terminals 12 of which extend inwardly and are wedgeshaped The opposite arm 13 of the U-frame has a fixed head l l-of tubular form constitoting a bearing to receive the cylindrical stem 15 of movable jaw 16, said stem havs. liigur is a side elevation of a device Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented irate,

Serial No. 779,29fl.

ing at its outer end a lever handle 1'2, for turning the jaw in the bearing 14. The jaw 16 is formed by the front end of the stem 15 and an annular exterior portion 16 which in practice, is formed as a separate ring which is shrunk or otherwise secured in position after the stem 15 has been moved. in warclly into the bearing 14, with the inner end projected beyond the adjacent end of the said beating; The said movable jaw 16 has a wedgepoint 18 which preferably is of a conical form and disposed in a line centrally of the spaced wedge members 12 of the fixed j aw ll.

In order to give the wedge elements a relative movement toward or from each other, cam surfaces are produced on the opposed faces of the bearing 14 and the rear of the jaw 16. The cam faces on the said bearing and jaw present 0 posits inclines, the inclines of each member efining opposite Vshapc formations, the dimensions of which are preferably such that a quarter turn of the lever 17 and the jaw 16 will cause the wedgcelements and 18 to approach each other to an extent to separate two adjacent laminations 0; of a spring A sufii-ciently to permit of the intro uction of a lubricant therebetween. This will be clearby reference to Figs. 1, 3 and 6, from which it will be seen that a single incline extends one.

quarter of the circumference of the jaw 13, and that asingle incline 19 on the bearing 1a is correspondingly formed.

I make provision for holding the jaw 16 in a given projected position, by preventing a retrograde movement of the inclines 20 thereof on the opposed inclines 19 of the Q To effect the purpose the jaw is made to interlock with the bearing at intersections of opposed inclines; thus at 21 on bearing M,

the jaw intersections =of two converging inclines 26, an edge or tapered terminal is presented in the direction of the cam sun, faces 19, of the bearing, and similarly two adjacent inclines 19 on the bearing converging in the. direction of the jaw, present a corresponding tapered formation with the taper in the direction of the jaw. i produce in the hearing, at the forward tapered portions thereof, depressions 22 to receive an edge portion 21, upon'a quarter turn of the jaw 16 in either direction, thereby produc ing an interlocked engagement between the jaw and the bearing, sufficient to prevent accidental turning of the jaw, but an engagement that may be readily overcome by the deliberate turning of the lever 17 by the user.

To better accommodate the device to springs of varying widths, provision is made for adjusting the wedge point or-center 18,

relatively to its jaw 16, by permitting the axial movement of the center in the stem 15, and to that end, the wedge 18 is formed separately from the jaw 16, and the stem 2 1 of said wedge is grooved, as at 25, at opposite sides, the grooves being intersected by transverse fastening pins 26, that are passed through the stem 15, at opposite sides of the stem 24. The groove 25 has a width, considered lengthwise of the stem, considerably greater than the diameter of the pins 26, so that an axial movement of the stem 24 may be effected relatively to the said pins.

The axial movement of the wedge 18 may be effected by a set screw 23, which is threaded axially in the stem 15, to constitute a follower and backing for the stem 24. By turning the set screw 23 backwardly or forwardly, the wedge 18 may be projected more or less beyond the face of the jaw 10, to maintain the desired adjustment of the parts and insure that a quarter turn of the jaw will advance the wedge 18 the proper distance for the separation of the laminations of the spring It will be observed that the inclines of the cam surfaces on both the movable jaw and its supporting arm present on said ja ai l arm alternate V-shaped recesses and tapering pro jections, the sides of'which recesses and pro jections constitute intersecting elements of double right and leftthreads, and also that the terminals of the projecting members on the cam faces of the arm and jaw, when in line with each other and interlocked by the engagement of the tapering edge 21 with an opposite depression 22, may be moved from the interlocked position and be permitted to recede axially by a turn in either direction; similarly the movable jaw may be advanced from the rearward position by a turning of the said jaw in either direction.

Having thus described. my invention, 1 claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a frame having arms, one of which constitutes a fixed jaw, said jaw having a wedge member disposed in the direction of the opposite arm, and a movable jaw having a stem axially movable and adapted to turn in said opposite arm, the movable jaw having a wedge member disposed in the direction of the opposite arm, the said stem extending through its supporting arm and provided at the end opposite the wedge member with a handle lever to rock the same, the 7 opposed faces of the jaw and its supporting arm having cam faces formed by opposite inclines presenting on said and arm alternate V -shaped recesses and tapering projections, the sides of which recesses and projections constitute intersecting elements of doubleright and left threads, the'terminals of the projecting members on the cam faces of the arm and jaw presenting co-acting locking formations, so that the jaw will be locked against retrograde movement when its cam members are directly'opposite corresponding members on the arm.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a frame having arms, one of which constitutes a fixed jaw, said jaw having a wedge member disposed in the direction of the opposite arm, and a movable jaw mounted for axial and turning movement in the said opposite arm, the opposed faces of the movable jaw and its suppo1 ting arm having cam faces formed by opposite inclines presenting on said jaw and arm V- shaped recesses and tapering projections, the sides of which recesses and projections constitute intersecting elements of double right and left threads.

3. A device of the character described,

comprising a frame having arms, one ofwhich constitutes a fixed jaw, said jaw having a wedge member disposed in the direction of the opposite arm, and a movable jaw mounted for axial and turning movement in the said opposite arm, the opposed faces of the movable jaw and its supporting arm having cam faces formed by opposite inclines presenting on said jaw and arm V-shaped recesses and tapering projections, the sides of which recesses and projections constitute intersecting elements of double right and left threads, the terminals of the projecting members on the cam faces of the arm and jaw presenting co-aeting locking formations so that the jaw will be locked against retrograde movemcnt when its cam members are directly opposite corresponding members on the arm, but is capable of receding when turned in either direction from the engaged position of the projecting members.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a frame having arms one of which is formed with a wedge member projecting in the direction of the opposite arm, a jaw mounted to rock in said opposite arm and to move axially therein, means for moving the said jaw axially upon a turning n'iovement of the same, means for rocking the movable jaw to move it axially, a wedge elemember being recessed, permitting a move ment of the Wedge element relatively to the pins in response to movements of the set screw.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination with spreading Wedges, actuating devices presenting" opposed serrations complementary to each other and adapted to operate the spreading wedges by a turning movement of said serrations in either direo 10 tion relatively to each other.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES N. SUWDEN. Witnesses:

H M. Woncorw, HERMANN ROTH, 

